[Footnote A: Mr. Bond has made a laughable error in his description.
Like all of the coleoptera, the Mercurians were hexapoda (six legged).
What Mr. Bond continually refers to in his narrative as "upper arms"
were really the antenna of the insects which split at the end into four
flexible appendages resembling fingers. His mistake is a natural one,
for the Mercurians used their antenna as extra arms.--James S.
Carpenter.]

The backplates were a brilliant green in color, with six-inch stripes of
chrome yellow running lengthwise and crimson spots three inches in
diameter arranged in rows between the stripes. Their huge-faceted eyes
sparkled like crystal when the light fell on them, and from time to time
waves of various colors passed over them, evidently reflecting the
insect's emotions. Although they gave the impression of great muscular
power, their movements were slow and sluggish, and they seemed to have
difficulty in getting around.

* * * * *

As my horrified gaze took in these monstrosities I turned with a shudder
to Jim Carpenter.

"Am I crazy, Jim," I asked, "or do you see these things too?"

"I see them all right, Pete," he replied. "It isn't as surprising as it
seems at first glance. You expected to find human beings; so did I, but
what reason had we for doing so? It is highly improbable, when you come
to consider the matter, that evolution should take the same course
elsewhere as it did on earth. Why not beetles, or fish, or horned toads,
for that matter?"

"No reason, I guess," I answered; "I just hadn't expected anything of
the sort. What do you suppose they mean to do with us?"

"I haven't any idea, old man. We'll just have to wait and see. I'll try
to talk to them, although I don't expect much luck at it."

He turned to the nearest beetle and slowly and clearly spoke a few
words. The insect gave no signs of comprehension, although it watched
the movement of Jim's lips carefully. It is my opinion, and Jim agrees
with me, that the insects were both deaf and dumb, for during the entire
time we were associated with them, we never heard them give forth a
sound under any circumstances, nor saw them react to any sound that we
made. Either they had some telepathic means of communication or else
they made and heard sounds beyond the range of the human ear, for it was
evident from their actions that they frequently communicated with one
another.

* * *